


"I'm Julia from Germany"

by Niwidu



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alive Hale Family, Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, Established Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Family Reunions, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-18
Updated: 2017-06-18
Packaged: 2018-11-15 13:41:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11232171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Niwidu/pseuds/Niwidu
Summary: The one, where Derek gets foundORDerek gets his family back.





	"I'm Julia from Germany"

**Author's Note:**

> I watched an episode of 'Vermisst', a german TV-Show where Julia looks for lost family members or friends and reunites them. And then I wanted to reunite Derek with his family. So, this happened. The fire still happened in this setting but all family members are alive and healthy!
> 
> You don't need to translate the few german sentences in between to understand what's happening, but Google Translator should give a decent translation, if you want to know it anyway.
> 
> Enjoy the story. If you happen to find mistakes- let me know!

The dark blue van drove slowly through the street, the driver searching for the correct house number. The blond woman on the back seat spoke excitedly into the camera which the camera man was focusing on her.  
„Wir sind jetzt auf dem Weg zu der Adresse, wo Coras Bruder zuletzt gelebt haben soll. Wenn wir Glück haben, lebt er immer noch dort.”  
The driver stopped the car next to a two-story house. The yard is nicely kept and some small flowers show their colorful petals in the warm late summer’s air. It fits perfectly into the neighborhood and the small town, Beacon Hills.  
The camera man and the sound recordist trailed after the woman who climbed the steps to the veranda of the house. She ringed the door bell and talked to the camera again.  
“Das muss es sein.” She pointed to the name tag right under the doorbell. It read D. Hale & S. Stilinski. But the door stayed closed. After a few minutes with nothing happening at all she ringed again to no avail.  
“Es scheint niemand da zu sein. Ich werde aber morgen auf jeden Fall wiederkommen. Wir müssen hier richtig sein.”  
Before the group could take further action, a petite blond standing on the street addressed them. “May I help you?”  
The other woman instantly rushed to her und shook her hand. “I’m Julia from Germany. I’m looking for Derek Hale. Does he live here?”  
The blond narrowed her eyes slightly and regarded the camera suspiciously. “Yes, he does live here. Why do you ask?”  
“I’m looking on his sister’s behalf, Cora. She is desperately searching for him.”  
For a moment she couldn’t breath and her eyes went wide. “She does?” It’s just a whisper, unbelieving.  
Julia heard it anyway and asked eagerly, “Do you know him more closely?”  
“Yes... Yeah, I do. My name’s Erica. I knew Derek for years.”  
“What do you think, how will he feel that his family wants to meet him?”  
She smiled brightly. “He will- He missed them every single day and to finally get the chance to meet them...”  
Julia laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Will it be a happy day for him?”  
Erica nodded vigorously. “Definitely!” A tear slid down her cheek. She laughed nervously and wiped it away. “Sorry. It is just- I’m so glad for him. He deserves every bit of happiness and I know that he longed to find his family again. We already tried to find them but had no luck. And now...”  
Julia gave her a sympathetic look. “Can you tell us where he is right now?”  
“Of course! I was on my way to meet him. We try to get together at least once a month- our group of friends I mean. You could follow me there. I don’t think he’ll come back today.”  
“That would be wonderful,” replied Julia before talking to the camera again, a relieved smile on her face. “Ich habe Derek Hale gefunden.”

The van pulled to a stop next to the red Mini of Erica. The house in front of them is similar to the one they just came from. The sun started to set during their drive over and rays of sunlight peaked over the roof. The newcomers just left their cars, when the door opened and a man appeared, one hand on the door frame.  
“There you are. Boyd’s already wondering what took you so long.”  
“Good evening to you too, Stiles. Is Derek here?”  
The man snorted. “Do you see his fancy car? He’s getting the drinks.” He examined the camera crew. “Don’t say you really got someone to follow you around at all times,” he teased.  
Erica was unimpressed. “They are here for Derek. You still have your chance.” She took a bowl out of the trunk of her car and went the few steps to Stiles up. “Be a sweetheart and bring this to the kitchen, yeah? I’ll wait with them.” She indicated to the people that were still standing around their van, Julia talking animatedly into the camera.  
Stiles mustered them skeptical. “What do they want from him?” He was visibly taken aback when Erica’s eyes got moist. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “What are they talking about? They are not English.”  
“Of course they are not. They’re from Germany.”  
He stared at her incredulously. “And why are they here? They possibly can’t have business with him,” he whispered furiously.  
She patted his shoulder in comfort, smiled placating and passed him the bowl. “Stop seeing threats around every corner. It’s nothing bad. Otherwise I wouldn’t have brought them with me.”  
“And why won’t you tell me?” Stiles all but pouted, not entirely convinced. But he knew how to pick his battles and it was impossible to fight her of all people.  
Erica hummed und pushed him back into the house. “It’s really not my place to tell. And it will be so much better when you hear it directly from him, believe me.”  
Reluctantly he went inside again. Few moments after the door closed behind him a black Camaro parked in front of the house. Erica nodded to Julia and knocked on the door. Isaac opened just as Julia rushed to the new arriver who barely got to leave his car.  
“Hello, I’m Julia from Germany. You are Derek Hale, is that right?” She held her hand out and Derek grabbed it, taken by surprise.  
“Yes, that’s me. Nice to meet you?”  
Julia smiled serenely. “I would like to talk about something personal with you. Can we go somewhere more private?”  
His eyebrows creased just the slightest at being left in the dark. As far as he was concerned he knew no one in Germany. “Why? And what are the cameras for?”  
“It’s a personal matter that I like to talk with you about,” she insisted. And even if he still didn’t understand what exactly she wanted to talk about and why she made such a big deal out of it he was undeniably curious.  
“I’m sure we can use a guestroom.” Questioning he looked over to Isaac. Considering the way him and Erica were watching the exchange there was no doubt that he heard what they said. And after a slap against his arm- courtesy of Erica- he nodded obediently.  
“Well then,” Derek began and nodded to the entrance, “follow me.” He stopped in the doorway to hand the car keys to Isaac. “Get the drinks.” Isaac grumbled something about that he could’ve at least said please but really, he did as he was told. 

She told him of his family, that his little baby sister asked her to find him for them and she asked him how he felt, knowing that they searched for him, that they never abandoned him.  
Answering that, the tears threatened for the first time to overflow. “It’s- All I ever wanted was to meet them, to get to hug them. And know it’s a real possibility, not only a wish. It’s fantastic.”  
She smiled at him and proceeded to explain everything. “After your family house burned down, your parents didn’t know what to do. They had no place to stay. When your father was released from hospital he went immediately to the local orphanage. He made an agreement with the management. You and your sister Laura were meant to sleep there while your mother stayed in hospital and your father tried to sort out things with the insurance and find a temporary place to stay, big enough for your parents, you, Laura and the coming baby. You were never up for adoption and when Laura called your parents and told them that you were brought away they rushed to stop whatever was happening. It was actually the last night you should have slept there. The employees of the orphanage were uncooperative and when they did find out that you really weren’t up for adoption, the pair adopting you apparently moved already. They never stopped looking for you.”  
He watched her, overwhelmed and this short of disbelief. “So I wasn’t the only one...”  
“Derek, what happened with you after you were adopted?”  
He gulped. “It wasn’t easy. We moved a few days after I needed to go with them to a small village in the South of Texas. They tried renaming me, tried letting me believe false stories about abusive family members and that they died in the fire. But I wouldn’t let them do that. They realized early on that I would never want to participate in their life. I don’t like talking about this time. As soon as I was off-age I moved out and to New York.” He needed to take a few deep breaths as all the memories emerged from the dark pit he stored them into. “I tried getting a grip on life but barely managed. During that time I actively tried for the first time to find my real family and every failure made me struggle even more. It got easier when I made a first real friend, someone who could really grasp what I was going through because he experienced similar treatment. We were helping each other and that was when I realized that this is what I wanted to do with my life. To help other people get out of this situations, get their life back on track or to at least give them the chance to do so. And that’s why I became a cop.”  
Julia nodded. “Did you make peace with what happened?”  
Derek mulled over the question. “Yes, I think I really did. I understood that over-thinking it wouldn’t change anything about it and failing to lead a normal life would only proof my adoptive family right. And I never wanted that because they’re not. I took the chances that opened to me, let people back in my life, trusted again.”  
“Why did you leave New York? During my search I found out that you were just a few steps away from promotion.”  
“I felt like being stuck, something I never wanted to allow to happen to me. When they looked for a Deputy here in Beacon Hills- It somehow was exactly what I wanted. Back from the anonymous streets of New York to the small town feeling, back in California. I felt connected to my family, knowing we used to live not far from here. And I never regretted this decision because I met people that enriched my life, that tried any means to find my family.”  
“I’m sure your family loves to hear that.” He smiled. “Do you want to see a picture?” Of course he nodded, trying to blink the tears away. She showed him a family portrait and he stared at it entranced, tracing the outlines of his real family with the fingertip. He compared the faces of his parents with his memory. They looked older, of course. It’s been twenty-two years. Laura grew into a beautiful woman, strong looking, confidant. But then again, she always was head-strong as a teenager. And Cora... How was he supposed to keep his tears inside? The last time he saw her she was just a little shape on a ultrasonogram. She looked so much like their [father?] now. He nearly broke down when Julia explained to him that Cora lived temporarily in Germany, with her fiancée, and that Cora’s greatest wish was for him to be at the wedding. Her wedding. Without even knowing him, existing only in the stories of her parents and her older sister, she searched for him, wanted him to be at her wedding, watching when she married the man she deemed worthy enough of her. And that was when it hit him. They could be at his wedding too.  
“Of course I’ll be there,” he croaked out.  
This woman from Germany, who made his greatest wish possible, smiled at him with kind eyes. “Do you have a special someone, Derek?”  
He laughed a bit choked. “Yes, I have. And I just proposed yesterday to him.”  
Her smile didn’t waver. “That’s wonderful. I’m certain your family will want to attend. Do you want to tell them something?”  
He breathed deep. “I want them to know that I’m not angry at them. I’ll wait for them with open arms and I love them, I loved them all those years. I only want to see them, to talk to them again. That’s all I want.”  
Julia gave him a moment to gather himself. “Can I- Can I keep the picture?” he asked her and she nodded.  
“They are your family, Derek. You should have a picture of them.”  
He smiled down at the photography. His family. How did he deserve this? He already thought that yesterday was the happiest day in his life but this? It was even better than Stiles’ eyes filled with wonder and happiness as he gazed down at him, ring raised in a shaking hand but voice firm when he asked him. It was better than the big smile that spread over his face while he talked and talked, down on his knee, hoping to get Stiles to understand how important he is to him. It was better than the tears shining in Stiles’ eyes as he dropped to his own knees, throwing his arms around Derek’s shoulders, chanting Yesyesyesyesyes in his ear.  
The camera was turned off. It didn’t catch how, when Derek returned to the living room, he went straight to Stiles, eyes still a little red, hugging him and hiding his face in Stiles’ neck.  
It didn’t film Stiles’ panic widened eyes when he felt Derek’s tears on his skin or the way Erica leant against Boyd, her own eyes wet.  
It also didn’t record Derek straightening up, one arm wound tightly around Stiles’ waist, tear streaks and a big grin on his face, addressing the whole room. “Stiles and I are getting married.” Stiles stared at him in confusion- just like everyone else- because they agreed to first tell his father the news. But Derek wasn’t finished. “And my family will be at the wedding.”  
And it definitely didn’t catch the chaos that ensued after those words. There was a short moment of slight hesitance. Derek rarely talked about the Argents and never as family. And even the ones not knowing the whole story knew enough to see that Derek would never invite them to his wedding. It took Stiles only the time Erica needed to fling herself across the room into Derek’s arms to understand it.  
“They found you,” he whispered and at the tiny nod of Derek’s head he shouted excited, “They found you!” And suddenly Derek had his arms full of one Erica Reyes and one Stiles Stilinski, the first crying in his chest, saying “I’m so happy for you. You deserve it. It was really time they showed up” over and over again, the other kissing him silly.  
It got to be a long night for all of them and they invited the Sheriff over so he could hear the news too. He didn’t even try to give one intimidating speech about what would happen to Derek, if he hurt Stiles. He couldn’t bring himself too, seeing one of his best Deputies this carefree and genuinely happy and his Stiles just as happy and excited right next to him the whole night. Stiles would be cared for, that he was sure about.

Two of the five people in front of the television were crying, one barely containing herself, hands clasped with her little sister, and the fourth one trying to comfort her husband, one arm wrapped around his shoulder, while all she wanted to do was to grab her son out of the TV into the safe arms of his family.  
Gently Julia said to them “I found your son and your brother.”  
It was Cora that hugged her tight, still crying. “Thank you. Thank you so much!”  
“I never thought that I would ever get the chance to see him again”, replied Mr. Hale. “I don’t know how we could thank you properly.”  
Julia just smiled. “Do you want to see him?” Nods and choked up “Yes!” answered her and she took Cora’s hand. “Then come with me.”  
Laura was following a few steps behind her parents. Her hands were shaking and her stomach was twisted. She thought she would pass out any second now. She still was afraid that this was all a dream, a vivid dream just so she could forget Derek’s wide, anxious eyes when he was ushered into the director’s office. A chance to escape her own panic and helplessness when she saw him getting dragged out of the orphanage, struggling all the way to a big black car. That she would see him in just a few moments, a man of his own, engaged- this couldn’t be true, right?  
They followed Julia to Derek’s house and stopped next to a side wall, only one corner separating them from the garden of the house and, inevitably, from seeing Derek for the first time after twenty-two years. Julia stopped them. “You searched for twenty-two years without success. Are you ready to see him?” She received several nods and gestured ahead. “He is waiting just around the corner.” They agreed beforehand, when Julia started with her search, that their parents would go first as to not overhelm him, and so Mr. and Mrs. Hale took their first tentative steps towards their son, still out of sight.  
Derek heard from his place in the middle of the garden only the voice of the woman who somehow made his life even brighter and knew that it was just a matter of time. Any moment they would come around the corner. And he still wasn’t prepared when his parents came into view. He was frozen to his spot, not daring to blink and trying desperately to get some air in his lungs. It was no use. They went with slow, unsure steps. They must be feeling the same as him. He saw the first tear slipping down his mom’s cheek- his mom- and lost his own battle. When they finally, finally stood in front of him all of their cheeks were tear-stained.  
“Mom. Dad.” His throat closed up and he pulled his mom in his arms, nose buried in her shoulder and breathing in her scent. She smelled like home. She whispered, “Oh, Derek.” He felt his dad’s arm settle over his shoulder and felt his tears on the other side of his neck. “We are so sorry for what happened.” Derek let one arm go to include his dad into this three-way hug. For many moments they stood like this, not moving until they heard soft footsteps.  
When Derek looked up, his eyes fell on his sisters. Laura immediately hugged him, whispering “I missed you, little brother.” He tightened the hug. And then she stepped aside and he stared at his little baby sister, just how she stared at him.  
He didn’t know what to say. She is all grown up, even more than the picture insinuated. He still remembered how his mother had let him touch her belly while she was pregnant with Cora and how he sometimes had felt Cora shift. She’d been only a concept back then, just the promise that he got to be a big brother too and that Laura got someone else to nag on. He had been completely mesmerized by it. And now there was this young woman standing in front of him who looks up to him in wonder. It’s then that he realized how much he’d been missing out in their life. That it’s a wonder, getting this chance, to be with them again. Later he wouldn’t know who took the last steps but suddenly Cora’s clutching at his shoulders and he had his arms tightly wrapped around her. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. They’re all together now.

Stiles was nervous. No, screw that, he was anxious. Suddenly he understood what Derek went through, meeting his father for the first time. Not that he ever had thought he needed to tackle this task but there he was, about to meet Derek’s family. That Derek himself just met for the first time after twenty-two years.  
What if they didn’t approve? If they had some kind of problem, their only son loving another man? If they didn’t want him at the family reunion?  
He very well knew that he was slowly talking himself into an anxiety attack and did, what he did most times: watching Derek. More often than not it helped him, distracting him from his thoughts. Especially when Derek looked so content, so at peace. It helped until Derek looked up, seemingly looking right at him. He nodded once and Stiles heart stopped for a moment. This was it. The signal for him to come out of the house and go to the reunited family. He breathed in deep and gathered his courage. The same courage he used to go on the first date with Derek, after he realized that Derek was genuinely interested in him. (He sometimes still couldn’t believe it, that this wonderful, beautiful man wanted to be with him.) He opened the back door quickly- it was really more like slamming it open- and smiled awkwardly at the startled lost-and-found family members. That didn’t go as planned. His hands played with the hem of his shirt.  
And nevertheless, Derek’s smile was fond and somehow proud as he introduced him. “This is Stiles, my fiancée.”  
It was overwhelming, all those eyes settling on him, as he stuttered, “Um... Yeah. Nice- nice to meet you.” He could kick himself because that is not what he’d wanted to say. Definitely not. And he still kept talking while one of his hands fiddled with the little hairs at his neck. “He proposed just a few days ago so I’m not really used to it by now. Of course, we already told my father and our friends even though we wanted to wait for the right moment. But yeah, finding out, that he can meet you was like the best time to do that, right? At least we had food and Derek even bought-“ He is cut off by the embrace of Mrs. Hale.  
“Thank you, Stiles.”  
That made him speechless, out of confusion more than anything else. “You’re welcome, I guess? Not that I know why you’re thanking me but yeah. You’re welcome.”  
Her smile deepened as she released him and suddenly there was Derek all around him, looking more carefree than Stiles had ever seen him. And when Mr. Hale shook his hand with a warm smile and clapped his back like he did something good, he breathed out and relaxed. This whole meeting-the-parents-thing wasn’t half as bad as imagined.

They had a barbecue that evening. Everyone gathered in the garden of Derek and Stiles’ house. The Sheriff and Talia, Mrs. Hale, got along perfectly, exchanging stories of cases and obscure murder weapons since Talia apparently worked together with the FBI. Erica and Laura were too scarily in sync for anyone to feel safe from their impending world domination and Isaac and Cora eagerly swapped wedding details with some forced input from Boyd. Stiles busied himself with setting the table with the help from Scott, bringing salad after bread after salad after potatoes fresh out of the oven to the table under the big tree in the garden. Somehow Peter, Derek’s favorite uncle during his childhood, wound up to and he stood with his nephew and brother-in-law by the grill, talking with them, while Derek and his father got the meat ready, shoving each other out of the way to be the barbecue master. But every time Stiles would pass them Derek stole a little kiss, smiling at Stiles with bright eyes.  
They sat together for a long time, getting to know each other. When the sun set, they fired their torches and someone turned on some music. Stiles swept Derek from his seat to dance with him slowly, just the two of them tangled together between the lights. When they broke out of their haze, there was a lot of teasing- Erica and Laura mostly with Scott coming close second, but Peter had some smart comments to make, too- and cooing- Cora and Isaac- and knowing looks- their parents, and wasn’t that embarrassing? Boyd remained thankfully impassive. But soon, conversation flowed freely again, three or more topics discussed hotly around the table, sometimes interrupted by a few rounds of “I packed my bag”, but never really ending.  
It was a fun night and they promised to meet again when the first couple excused themselves until only the family was left- Hale’s and Stilinski’s alike.

Meanwhile, Julia was on her way back to Germany, to reunite the next family.


End file.
